We must address the booming data center growth in our state that is requiring unprecedented expansions of our energy grid and hindering our ability to get off of fossil fuels.
Albemarle County & the City of Charlottesville
The staff in PEC's Charlottesville office works with citizens to solve the many land use and conservation challenges facing the Charlottesville and Albemarle area.
Albemarle County Community Surveys 1994-2023 Report
The results of our analysis further underscore the priority Albemarle County residents have overwhelmingly given to policies tied to the environment, preservation and smart growth for nearly 30 years.
Cville Area Land Use Update: Week Ahead for December 11, 2023
Albemarle Supervisors to learn more about Rivanna Futures purchase; Council to hold two work sessions on Development Code
Cville Area Land Use Update: Week Ahead for December 4, 2023
Public hearing on Tuesday for Charlottesville’s new zoning; Albemarle to discuss affordable housing incentives
Why PEC Supports Charlottesville’s Proposed Zoning Code
The Piedmont Environmental Council supports greater density and mixed uses in the City of Charlottesville because it is essential to our mission to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable, communities. In our area, that requires having places for people to live in the heart of our community: Charlottesville.
As the line graph below shows, Charlottesville effectively stopped accepting new net residents when the General Assembly prohibited the City from annexing County land (in the 70s) and when subsequent City Councils reduced density (starting in the 90s) through a series of downzonings that prohibited the creation of multifamily housing in many parts of the City.
Yet, people still came to the area. Left with few options in the City, they have tended to settle in Albemarle and surrounding counties, as the next graph shows.
The new zoning code will provide a partial – but essential – correction by authorizing more places for people to live in Charlottesville. Focusing new development – and investments – in existing neighborhoods within Charlottesville and Albemarle’s designated growth areas will bring numerous benefits, including:
- Reduced per capita vehicle miles traveled and related greenhouse gas and other pollutants;
- Lower transportation costs for households and the community at large;
- Less travel stress and shorter commutes; better health;
- Easier access to everyday activities and higher quality of life;
- Critical mass for transit, walkability, biking and school transportation;
- Smaller proportion of our lands are dedicated to impervious parking and roadway surfaces;
- More compact infrastructure that is easier to maintain and less burdensome to taxpayers;
- Protection of the surrounding area’s natural landscapes that residents cherish and depend on.
Many of these benefits apply especially to those with financial challenges, those who depend on transit and social services, and those who have been historically marginalized or segregated.
We know that a lot more investment in sidewalks and other infrastructure is still needed. We also need to emphasize that livability is key. That means increasing tree canopy, adding more parks, improving streetscape quality, and more. These are not incompatible with greater density.
The new Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code contain many good provisions that speak to community quality as well as density. Though they will not accomplish all of our goals by themselves, they provide the necessary ingredients.
The best way that we can protect all of our quality of life, address climate change and equity, and be responsible to future generations, is to make sure that development happens where it makes sense – in the region’s urban core. This is the new Zoning Code’s purpose and we support it.
Further Resources
Zoning Code, Map and Background Info
Livable Cville’s excellent Rezoning FAQ
Information about City Council and how to contact them
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Cville Area Land Use Update: Week Ahead for November 27, 2023
City Council to review potential zoning map changes at final work session on Development code
2023 Highlights: A Holistic Approach to Conservation
PEC works to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. The following highlights reflect our work in 2023.
Cville Area Land Use Update: Week Ahead for November 20, 2023
Albemarle ARB to review AC44 goals; Council to get briefing on transit budget
It’s a Critical Time to Engage in the Albemarle Comprehensive Plan Update Process
Natural spaces and sustainable communities only exist through deliberate efforts to plan for and protect them.
Cville Area Land Use Update: Week Ahead for November 13, 2023
Burn bans on agenda in Nelson, Greene; Charlottesville PC holding public hearings on three rezonings